Blood Wolves
by Queen Eli
Summary: "Well, he's definitely strong and loyal." Mondo had began to pace around Kiyotaka. "Who he's loyal to is currently unknown. Unstoppable? That's debatable. But he can be taught." Mondo leaned over, poking Kiyotaka's chest. "Well, Kiyotaka Ishimaru? Will you join us?" Omegaverse, wolf-shifter AU. Full plot inside. Minor "Warriors" references.
1. Prologue

**Plot: **[Omegaverse, wolf-shifter AU] A young "watchdog" for the Alpha-Omega association, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, is sent out to investigate a renegade wolf, Mondo Oowada, who has been operating an underground and highly dangerous street-gang once known as the Crazy Diamonds, now going as the Blood Wolves. It is a gang that is made entirely of wolf-shifters, with a new breed of highly trained wolves they call themselves after as their pets—the blood wolves. Little do they know, the Blood Wolves are engaged in their own battle with the Monochrome Cats, another highly dangerous street-gang made up entirely of demons, with only the cats of hell as their pets. Kiyotaka was given specific instructions when he was sent out to investigate—don't fall victim to the gang, and don't make friends. And most _definitely, _even though it wasn't said, don't fall in love with the leader. But that's exactly what he does. _Minor _"Warriors" references in the beginning and throughout.

**THE CHARACTERS**

**BLOOD WOLVES**

**Alpha: **_Mondo Oowada, code name "Leader", "Alpha", or "Black" (Kiyotaka only)_

_Companion: Akane, Mexican Red Wolf_

**Beta: **(only later) _Kiyotaka Ishimaru, code name "One-eye"_

_Companion: Hachiro, Artic Wolf_

**Healer: **_Yasuhiro Hagakure, code name "Pit-bull"_

_Companion: Dai, European Grey Wolf_

**Healer's apprentice: **_Chihiro Fujisaki, code name "Littlest One", "Princess" (Mondo only)_

_Companion: Kaede, Maned wolf_

**The Head Warrior: **_Sakura Oogami, code name "Stonewall"_

_Companion: Mai, Russo-Eurasian Grey Wolf_

**The Spy: **_Aoi Asahina, code name "Otter"_

_Companion: Iwao, American Grey Wolf_

**The Detective: **_Kyoko Kirigiri, code name "Violet"_

_Companion: Yuuka, Indian Wolf_

**The Finder: **_Makoto Naegi, code name "Lucky"_

_Companion: Nagito, Labrador Wolf_

**MONOCHROME CATS**

**Leader: **_Junko Enoshima, code name "the Cat", "Leader"_

_Companion: Raiden, cougar_

**Second-in-command: **_Mukuro Ikusaba, code name "Softpaws"_

_Companion: Naomi, Japanese Bobtail_

**Medicine cat: **_Sayaka Maizono, code name "Blue-eyes"_

_Companion: Takeshi, white lion_

**Head Guard: **_Leon Kuwata, code name "Flame"_

_Companion: Hotaru, cheetah_

**Top Fighter: **_Touko Fukawa, code name "Runner"/Genocider Syo, code name "Scissors"_

_Companion: Kuro, black Jaguar_

**The Scout: **_Byakuya Togami, code name "Glass-eye"_

_Companion: Nobuko, leopard_

**The Cheat: **_Celestia Ludenberg/Taeko Yasuhiro, code name "Blackheart"_

_Companion: Lilliana, black tiger_

**The Artist: **_Hifumi Yamada, code name "Weapon"_

_Companion: Shichiro, snow leopard_

**Prologue**

"_This is the enemy." _The elder grey-haired Alpha pointed at a picture of a pompadour-sporting Wolf with blue-violet eyes glowing like a dog's eyes reflect in the moonlight. He wore a black jacket, baggy black pants held up with a belt, and a tight black satin collar. He was grinning with sharp, gleaming teeth at the camera as the light glinted off of the silver tag on his collar.

_Black, _thought the younger black haired Wolf. _So much black on this Wolf. _"And this is Mondo Oowada, I suspect?" he asked, turning his eyes to the elder.

"Yes." The grey nodded, eyes half-closed. "He may not look intimidating, but don't let him fool you. He's very, very dangerous and sly. He has already killed the six spies we sent out to catch him. Your mission is to be better than the last six, to not get yourself killed, and to not make any permanent friends—you won't have them for long."

The dark haired Wolf gave a shudder at the elder's chilling words, and then nodded. "I'll do my best sir. You can count on me." A smile spread across the younger's face as his eyes sparked. "You'll have him in no time."

Giving a nod, the brunette stood. "Go now, Kiyotaka Ishimaru. And do not return until you have Mondo Oowada in the palm of your hand."

_It won't be easy, _Kiyotaka thought to himself as he exited the office and trotted down the hallway. _But I can do it. I'm not the best of the youngest for nothing. _With that thought in his head, the Wolf disappeared into the night, intent on tracking down his target.


	2. Into the Gang

**Chapter one: Into the Gang**

_He was dreaming. _It had been a long time since Kiyotaka had had a proper dream, but even so, this one was a bit strange. He was an animal; more specifically, a wolf, he found after staring at a reflection of himself from a small pond. He leaned down to lap at the water, soft pink tongue breaking the surface of the glassy water and sending ripples outwards in a large circle. He pulled back, running his tongue across his black muzzle, red eyes darting around the clearing. The area where his tie and shirt itched finally felt relieved for once, and Kiyotaka sat on his haunches, scratching at one of his ears with his foot.

It wasn't uncommon for him to have dreams where he was in his wolf form. In fact, he was much more comfortable in his wolf form than his human form. As a wolf, he was momentarily able to forget his bonds, to forget his ties to the Association and follow in the pawsteps of his ancestors. It allowed him to live free, if only for a few moments. Often times the Association forced the shifters to remain in their human form, to look more "presentable" for their fellow humans.

All of these thoughts vanished as Kiyotaka picked up a scent, and he got to his feet suddenly, coal-black nose twitching. A pigeon, and he was standing directly downwind from it. His mouth watered, and suddenly his stomach felt heavy as lead. How long had it been since he'd eaten, if he could feel the pangs of hunger even in his sleep? Forgetting for a moment that he was in a dream, Kiyotaka crouched low, moving through the tall grasses and weeds like a cat, his belly fur scraping the ground.

His target soon came into sight, and Kiyotaka's black-and-white ears swiveled forward, stopping and sitting still in his place. The fat bird pecked at the ground, currently unaware of his presence. Kiyotaka shifted his weight from his left side to his right, back and forth, trying to keep his tail from swishing through the grasses and making noise.

Raising one of his black forelegs, Kiyotaka went to pounce, but a sudden, loud noise to his left startled him. His attention went to the noise, and the startled pigeon flew away in a flurry of grey feathers. Kiyotaka muttered a few curses under his breath, swatting a paw halfheartedly in the bird's direction, knowing that he'd have no chance of catching it anyway. Settling back on his haunches, he looked over at the source of the noise again, bristling as the loud noise got louder, and seemingly closer. Just as he was going to investigate, his eyes suddenly snapped open, and he found himself lying on the cold cement in an alley that he'd made his sleeping place the night before. A car near him had started up and rumbled away. Giving a long, heavy yawn, Kiyotaka stretched, wincing at the sounds of his joints snapping into place and giving his aching knees a good rub. His stomach gave an angry growl, and Kiyotaka grumbled. It'd been a while since he'd slept on the streets.

Looking from side to side before venturing out, Kiyotaka turned onto the sidewalk, quietly walking along. The sun had not yet burst through the dark clouds, signaling to Kiyotaka that it was not yet morning. As he checked his watch, it was confirmed. 3:30 A.M. Again his stomach let out a loud rumble, and he wrapped his arms around his stomach to attempt to stifle it. _Now is not the time, _he thought to himself as he walked along in the dark.

As he slept, it had begun to faintly mist—not quite a drizzle but not a rain either. The mist-like substance settled on his scruffy black hair and clothes, slowly but surely making him wet. Running his fingers through his messy hair, Kiyotaka sighed. Barely half a day into his investigation and he was already somewhat miserable. _I should have brought food, _he thought angrily. _Or money. Or maybe a sleeping bag. Damn…_ As he looked up at the sky, Kiyotaka noticed the rain had begun to get harder. Soon he would be soaked. If he didn't find somewhere to be soon…

Kiyotaka straightened suddenly as he heard sounds behind him—footsteps? At first he wasn't at all worried. It could have just been a youth trotting around, having some fun late at night. However, as the footsteps got louder and closer, Kiyotaka realized he was in trouble. Right as he turned around, his pursuer gave a yell and slammed into him. Letting out a squeak of surprise, Kiyotaka was bowled over by his attacker. There was a hand at his throat, and Kiyotaka gagged as he struggled under the anonymous figure. Suddenly, he realized something. Using all of his strength, Kiyotaka sent his feet into the attacker's stomach, keeping a firm grip on his shoulders. This allowed him to flip the other over, so that he was now on top of him. The attacker let out a surprised gasp, and Kiyotaka used the chance to give swing at his head. As soon as he felt the connection and the attacker let out a yelp, he leaped to his feet and started to flee, before deciding against it and whirling around to face the aggressor. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as he surveyed the aggressor, who had gotten up to pursue him as soon as he'd started running.

It was a young male, with brown hair and an oddly-shaped ahoge sticking up at the top. There was blood trickling from his jaw where Kiyotaka's fist had connected, and his eyes were glazed with adrenaline and excitement. He could tell from the pricked brown ears, white-tipped tail, and scent that he was a post-mark* adolescent Wolf, about three years out of puppy hood and an Alpha, which was possibly why he'd decided to take on a much older Wolf such as Kiyotaka, who was an Omega himself. There was one more thing that he noticed; the loose dark green collar, streaked with orange around his neck, with a large circular tag that had "BLOOD WOLVES" written on the front in bold letters. Just his luck, he'd run into a member of the Blood Wolves. Narrowing his eyes, Kiyotaka readied himself to attack again, but his aggressor simply sat, lifted a hand, and ran it through his hair, all signs of aggression gone.

"I didn't expect you to hit so hard," the other laughed, looking over at Kiyotaka with half-closed eyes. "You're a good fighter for a loyal hound. Where'd you learn to get so good?"

"Lessons." Kiyotaka replied, crossing his arms. "A loyal hound? What do you mean by that."

"Obviously," the brunette said, pointing at Kiyotaka's bare neck. "You wear no collar. That means you're not a part of our gang, and you have no distinguishing gang signs, so obviously you don't belong to any gang. You're a loyal hound to the Alpha-Omega association."

Kiyotaka clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes. "I may be a _loyal hound, _but that doesn't mean I won't hit you again."

"Tou-chy," the brunette scoffed, finally standing up. "My name is Makoto Naegi by the way. I'm the Finder for the Blood Wolves, I search for targets and possible recruits!" He gave a little salute, tilting his head and closing his eyes. "Oh, I'm also the best assassin, so don't turn your back on me or anything!"

"Kiyotaka Ishimaru at your service." Kiyotaka grinned and cocked his head. "Well, if you're the assassin for the Blood Wolves, I don't believe I should be scared of any of you, then, huh?"

Makoto rolled his eyes. "I'm only the best of the regular members, but if Kirigiri or _Sakura _caught you out here, they'd kill you without any questions. Now if you were to come across one of the Monochrome Cats, you'd already be a bloody heap by now. Or worse: you'd be a prisoner of Enoshima. Now that would be a horrid fate." Makoto gave a shiver and rubbed his arms. "Anyway, you're definitely not like the other spies the Association has sent out. You're stronger, smarter, better. And most definitely younger."

Kiyotaka couldn't help but feel a small swelling of pride inside of his chest at the brunette's compliment, but he shook it away. "And what does that have to do with anything?"

It appeared as though Makoto was going to answer, but suddenly he stopped and stood rigid, eyes wide. "Damn…" he growled, looking behind him. "Quickly, Kiyotaka, get out of here! Before they—"

"_Naegi!_" Flinching, Makoto turned just as he was cuffed hard in the side of the head by a gloved hand, and he gave a yelp, falling backwards and looking up. A girl stood over him, wearing a knee-length pencil skirt and a dark gray dress jacket. She had long, violet hair, and eyes nearly the same color that were narrowed dangerously. "What are you doing, talking to this man? I believe I've told you before that that is expressly prohibited, have I not?" Makoto didn't answer, just let out a few short whimpers, and the violet haired girl slammed a foot into his ribs in response to that. "Well?"

"I-I'm sorry I didn't think—" Makoto started to say quickly, covering his face with his hands as he shook, obviously terrified of the taller girl. She reared her foot back to dig her heel into his ribs again, before a voice stopped her.

"Kirigiri, that's enough. Keep it up, you'll blow 'im down." Kirigiri paused, and Makoto peered through his fingers to take a look at the person who'd just spoke. As he revealed himself, Kiyotaka's red eyes widened.

_Black._ There was black. The Wolf was wearing a long black jacket with golden inscriptions, and baggy black pants held up by the belt he'd seen in the photo. His outrageously styled pompadour, and longer black hair in the back gleamed with the light rain. The tight black collar accented his muscled neck, and his strikingly blue-violet eyes stood out vividly against the black eyeliner that he'd applied.

"L-leader!" Makoto squealed. As Kirigiri released her foot, Makoto scrambled to a sitting position and bowed his head. Kiyotaka mimicked him, sensing the strong aura of dominance surrounding the Alpha.

"Excuse me for the inconvenience," Kirigiri muttered, her still-narrowed eyes looking up at him. "He was openly socializing with this…loyal hound."

_Mondo…_Kiyotaka thought as the Alpha approached him. _Mondo Oowada. _The intimidating Wolf stopped before him, running a hand through Kiyotaka's messy black hair. "I like this one," Mondo purred, sharp teeth flashing in a grin. Kiyotaka gulped as he looked at them, knowing they could do serious damage. "He's not like the others—not so eager to jump into battle, not hasty. He's not as loyal as the others." Kiyotaka's eyes flashed at the comment, but he didn't say a word. Right now, Mondo had an extremely aggressive female on his side and an obviously well-trained male waiting for orders. One wrong move and Kiyotaka would be dead. The Alpha's hand traveled down to Kiyotaka's chin and tilted it up. "Look at me, hound." He commanded. Kiyotaka's eyes traveled to Mondo's, and he grinned happily. "What do you want?"

Remembering what he was told to say, Kiyotaka blinked. "You're right. I'm not as loyal as I seem. I have decided to…break away from the strict rules of the Association, and join you instead."

Immediately Kirigiri jumped to her leader's side. "Mondo!" She snapped. Mondo held out a hand to silence her, and she backed off, shoving her hands in her pockets.

"And how am I supposed to know you're sincere?" Mondo asked, tilting his head.

Kiyotaka let out a heavy, well-rehearsed sigh and closed his eyes. "Do I carry anything marking me for the Association?" In response, Mondo's eyes looked him over from head to toe, and he drew back.

"No. Though I do doubt your sincerity," Mondo started to say, putting a finger to the side of his mouth as though thinking. "You are a good fighter. And not easily intimidated. You fought with Makoto like he was a normal street thug and not a well-trained assassin. Your skills are good, and your bravery is amazing for a loyal hound." Smiling, Mondo put his hand by his side. "If you would like, you may join us."

Kiyotaka's eyes flashed at his request. _Join us? But I was told they didn't openly accept members…Damn, I thought it would be harder._

Almost as though he'd read his mind, Mondo smiled. "You look surprised. The truth is, we are in need of members." He looked off towards the distance, eyes growing cold. "The Monochrome Cats are growing stronger each day."

"But he can't be a member!" Kirigiri snarled, eyes flashing angrily. "He's not connected to any of us, and he has no blood in the gang! He has no member blood!"

"Member blood," Mondo sighed, eyes adopting a look of sadness. "Too much of that has been spilled lately…much more than I'm used to." As he bowed his head, Kiyotaka noticed the ugly scar running across the back of his neck, partially hidden by the collar he wore.

Kirigiri bit her lip and looked down. "You're right. But I didn't think you'd be willing to just _accept _anyone. Think of the other Wolves out there…"

"But we can't just have any Wolf," Makoto finally said. "_Strong, loyal, unstoppable. _That is the gang's motto." The brunette straightened and lifted his head, eyes shining with pride.

"Well, he's definitely strong and loyal." Mondo had began to pace around Kiyotaka. "Who he's loyal to is currently unknown. Unstoppable? That's debatable. But he can be taught." Mondo leaned over, poking Kiyotaka's chest. "Well, Kiyotaka Ishimaru? Will you join us?"

As Kiyotaka looked over at Kirigiri and Makoto, he caught the cold sparks of hatred and uncertainty coming off of the female, and curiosity and wonder coming off of the male. _Kirigiri is most definitely a formidable enemy, _he thought. _But I must remember the mission. _Looking Mondo in the eye, he nodded. "Yes."

Again, the Alpha flashed his large, sharp teeth. "Good. Shall we get going then?" Mondo turned on the heel of his black boots and started off down the dark streets, Kirigiri and Makoto following. Kiyotaka trailed behind, uncertain yet excited at the same time as the adrenaline pulsed off of him. He was going to be a part of the gang, and, slowly, he thought he would progress up and get close enough to Mondo to catch him in his hand like a butterfly, and bring him back to the Association…alive yet bruised. However, little did he know, this would be the beginning of a different, and much stranger journey for Kiyotaka deep into the underworld…and deep into the depths of his own heart and loyalties.

[*pre-mark: for the first fifteen years of their lives, Wolves have no mark and have an ambiguous scent. They're classified as "pups" from that time until their sixteenth year, which is when they get their Alpha or Omega mark between their shoulder blades and "present", or develop their scent, and their sex organs mature. From their sixteenth year to their twenty-eighth, they are known as "adolescents". Wolves are immortal and can only be killed by demons or at the hand of another Wolf (aka no guns, weapons, etc). Wolves over the age of twenty-eight are "adults". The prefix "Elder" is used by a younger Wolf to identify a Wolf over the age of seventy-five.]


	3. Red and Black

**Chapter Two: Red and Black**

_The quartet walked along in awkward silence for a while, _none of them wanting to speak at the moment. Predictably, the eager Makoto was the first to break it, looking wide-eyed at the eyepatch covering Kiyotaka's right eye.

"So, Ishi...maru, was it? How'd you lose your eye? I didn't think the Association let their loyal hounds get into fights." Kiyotaka stiffened at the question, pinned ears and lashing tail showing that he'd become slightly agitated.

"Accident," he muttered, gently touching the black eyepatch. He'd almost managed to forget it, for a moment, but Makoto's question forced him to remember it. The very bane of his existance, the only scar on his perfect life record, was the incident that had led him to needing the eyepatch. "Demons. They attacked the Association when I was a pup."

"Interesting, though I doubt it will keep other Wolves from attacking you," Kirigiri interjected, not moving her eyes to address Kiyotaka. He bristled at the obvious show of disrespect; Kirigiri, judging by her scent, was only six years out of puppy hood. Kiyotaka was well into adulthood, seventeen years out of puppy hood, and he was her superior, even if they were both Omegas.

"Little Violet's right, y'know," Mondo said from where he was leading the group. "Our Wolves're tough. New recruits only become members after they've survived a week an' their initiation ceremony." Despite their bleak words, Kiyotaka's determined expression never faltered. He had nothing to fear, he told himself. If he'd beat Makoto, who was the best assassin, then surely he could defeat anyone, right?

Finally, after what felt like forever to Kiyotaka's aching legs, the quartet stopped at what _looked _like a brick wall. However, as Mondo reached out and pressed against one of the bricks, part of it moved back like a door, and he stepped through. Kirigiri followed, and Makoto went in after her. Kiyotaka paused for a moment, ears twitching, before walking inside. _A fake wall, _Kiyotaka thought as he followed the three down a dark, narrow corridor. _I must inform them of that. _

Deeper, and deeper still they traveled, and Kiyotaka found his sensitive nose overcome by...scents. Strange scents. As he wrinkled his nose in confusion, Mondo turned his head around to look at him.

"Those are the scents of our members," he told him. "As your nose becomes more and more sensitive, you'll eventually be able to tell each member apart by his or her scent." Kiyotaka nodded, and as he thought about it, he realized why Makoto had suddenly become tense when Mondo and Kirigiri were near—he most likely smelled them. Kiyotaka also noticed the delicious scent of _food, _and his stomach let out a loud angry growl. He spat a curse, and Mondo chuckled.

"You sound hungry. Don't worry, you'll be able to eat soon." Mondo tilted his head at Kiyotaka, who looked down, slightly embarrassed that the leader had heard his stomach growl. "First, we're going to give you your wolf."

_Wolf? _Kiyotaka didn't have much time to think anything else after that. As Mondo opened the door to what he assumed was the main room, a snarling mass of reddish-brown bowled into him, knocking him flat on his back. Kiyotaka let out a surprised yelp as the wolf pinned him with all fours and looked down at him with the yellow-gold eyes of a predator. He was about to attempt to pry the wolf off of him, when Mondo gave a whistle.

"Akane! Leave it." Mondo commanded, and the wolf, who he assumed was Akane, got off of Kiyotaka and ran over to Mondo, jumping up onto her hind legs and putting her paws on Mondo's shoulder, licking at his face. Mondo let out a laugh and rubbed the wolf's ears. A grey-black Labrador Wolf ran towards Makoto and jumped into his arms, and a tiny Indian wolf padded over to Kirigiri, and she rubbed her neck lovingly.

"T-these are…" Kiyotaka started to say.

"The blood wolves," Mondo finished, grinning as Akane got back onto all fours.

"And what makes them different from other wolves?" Kiyotaka asked, looking at the loving-looking pets with curiosity.

"Well, they're easier to train for one, they're much more tightly bonded to their master, and they are stronger. Also, once you put a blood wolf on a target… she will never stop chasing it. _Strong, loyal, unstoppable_," Mondo repeated proudly, half-closing his eyes. "That is the Blood Wolves's motto."

Kiyotaka tilted his head at the wolves, and then looked up at Mondo. "How do you choose your wolf?"

Mondo let out a deep, vibrating laugh—a laugh like Kiyotaka had made some kind of joke, which he definitely hadn't. "How naïve you are, Ki-yo-ta-ka. You don't _choose _your wolf, your wolf chooses you."

Kiyotaka had absolutely _no _idea what Mondo meant, until they finally walked through the door. The first thing he noticed was that there were canines—canines everywhere. Dogs, wolves, coyotes, dingoes, foxes, jackals. Big ones, small ones, young ones, old ones. Canines of all breeds, colors, and temperaments. . There were more canines than Wolves.

"Wow…" he gasped, looking around at them. "I never…"

"Down here, the gang lives at peace with most of the regular city canines," Mondo explained. "The ones without collars. However, the ones with collars are our blood wolves, our crown jewels. Only the ones who are currently owned are allowed to run free. The others are kept in a special facility." Mondo pointed to a large brick building labeled _The Blood Wolf Institute. _"This is where newcomers come to get their first wolf."

Kiyotaka noticed that Kirigiri and Makoto had broken away, and now it was only Mondo and himself walking along the pavement. "Normally, if you were born into the gang, you'd get your wolf when you were six years old. However, since you weren't, you'll just have to do it now." As they reached the door, Mondo pushed it open and led Kiyotaka down the clean white hallways. He could hear barking coming from a few of the doors, one labeled _Special needs, _one labeled _Puppies, _one labeled _Pregnant bitches, _and one labeled _Breeding. _Finally, they reached a door labeled _Adoptables, _and Mondo pushed the door open. It was a large, clean room, with a fence-like structure separating one half of the room from another. On one half, there were chairs and tile floors. On the other half, there were wolves; about ten or fifteen wolves, not nearly as many as the ones running around outside. The floor was also dirt, not tile, but the room itself wasn't…dirty. It was as if the dirt _knew _to stay on its own side—which Kiyotaka knew was nonsense. Dirt knew nothing.

Kiyotaka cautiously followed Mondo as the Alpha unlocked the padlock on the gate and opened it, holding it open for Kiyotaka, who stepped inside. He tensed slightly as he heard the gate shut behind him, remembering what happened with Akane. He wondered if these wolves would attack him as well, but the wolves made no such move. As he entered, a few of them kept playing with each other, a few turned a lazy eye and sighed, and some didn't acknowledge him at all. But, there was one wolf, a black and white Arctic wolf, who turned to Kiyotaka excitedly. The wolf's blue eyes brightened as he ran over, nuzzling Kiyotaka's hip with his head and wagging his thick, fluffy tail happily.

"So this is the one," Mondo smiled, patting the wolf's head. "The one yer bonded to. Well, will be bonded to, as soon as ya' give 'im a name. As you can see, he's an Arctic Wolf, and the eighth son of one of our most prized blood wolves."

_Eighth son…Hachiro! _Kiyotaka thought as he petted the wolf. "Hachiro." He announced. "His name is Hachiro." He leaned down to better examine the wolf, and as he did, the wolf leaped up and licked his face, knocking the loose eyepatch off. Kiyotaka gave an embarrassed squeak as he slapped a hand quickly over his right eye so the other wouldn't notice, trying to find the eyepatch, which had become difficult since he could only see out of one eye. As if the wolf knew what he was looking for, Hachiro grabbed the eyepatch and put them into Kiyotaka's hand, without an order. After putting the eyepatch back on, Kiyotaka blinked as his vision finally cleared, and he sat up. "How did he…"

"That's tha' difference between a blood-wolf and a normal wolf," Mondo told him, smiling his signature smile. "A blood-wolf _always _knows what 'er master is thinking, no matter what. The wolf and master are so tightly bonded, both of them know what they are thinking. Basically, a wolf and 'er master can communicate telepathically."

Kiyotaka's eyes widened as he looked up at Mondo. "Really? So you can—"

"Talk to your wolf? Yes. You can." Mondo's eyes flashed as he smiled down at Kiyotaka. "And now that ya have yer wolf, you can get 'im 'is collar." Mondo waited for Kiyotaka to stand before they went through the gate and out of the door and down the hall. Soon, they reached a large door that read COLLARS, and Mondo pushed it open. The whole time Hachiro followed Kiyotaka like a moth follows a light, never taking his eyes off of his master or looking at or even _sniffing _anything else.

As they stepped through the doors, Kiyotaka looked around, amazed at the wide selection the room held. It was a room full of shelves, mirrors, and a few seats—the shelves were filled with collars. There were ones in blue, green, red, purple, pink, black, ones with studs and spikes, leather collars and satin collars and felt collars…collars of all kinds. As he looked around, Kiyotaka noticed one of the collars begin to glow. It was thick and brown, with a simple silver nameplate in the front that currently held no name. It lifted itself up into the air before flying over to Hachiro and inserting itself onto his neck. Hachiro let out a curious woof as it settled perfectly on his neck, and letters began etching themselves on the nameplate. When they were done, they spelled HACHIRO.

"How did that happen?" Kiyotaka asked. He wondered whether to sound amused or awed, but he went with amused, because things like that seemed to be the regular around here.

"The collar knows who its master is," Mondo replied simply. "As soon as the wolf comes close enough, the collar will come to the wolf."

Kiyotaka wanted to ask how it was possible, but he kept his mouth shut. If he was too inquisitive, then it might seem like he was gathering information for something—which he was, but he didn't want it to appear obvious. "Interesting. So, what next?"

"Next," Mondo started to say, a grin spreading across his face. "Yer gonna meet some of the Wolves who'll be trainin' you, includin' my daughter."


	4. Streets of Secrets

**Chapter Three: Streets of Secrets**

"Your _daughter_?!" Kiyotaka echoed in shock, and Mondo laughed. This was totally new information; the col,d ruthless, cruel Mondo Oowada had a daughter? "But...who...you have a mate?" He couldn't believe the informational jackpot that he'd just won.

"Nah, she's adopted. Found 'er when she was just a tiny pup, 'er name's Chihiro Fujisaki. She's a precious lil' thing, though." Mondo's blue-violet eyes shone with pride, and a smile had spread across his face. Right before his eyes, the evil criminal had morphed into a doting father, and Kiyotaka furrowed his eyebrows, unsure of what to make of that.

"W-well...you must be very proud!" Kiyotaka said, straightening up as he forced his face back into its usual expression. Mondo gave another booming laugh as he started off, twitching his tail to signal for Kiyotaka to follow.

"She's my pride an' joy. Tha' only thing that 'm really proud of, 'cept fer the gang, Akane (he gave the wolf a friendly pat), my bike, an' my lil' boy Chuck." Mondo explained.

"You have a son as well?!" Kiyotaka sputtered again.

"Chuck's my dog," Mondo said simply. "A lil' show Maltese. Gorgeous dog, ya' might see 'em if ya' can survive." Mondo stopped suddenly, turning his head as he suddenly noticed something. "Oy, Pit-bull!" He called, and a man poked his head out from behind a trashcan. "C'mere, there's someone ya' gotta meet."

Kiyotaka wrinkled his nose as the man approached. His hair was possibly more outrageous than Mondo's; the unholy cross between dreadlocks and an afro, and dark brown in color. The man had tanned skin, darker than Mondo's, and his eyes were a bright golden brown. His collar was a loose, brown leather, tattered thing, with a rusty tag on it.

"Ah, this the new recruit Lucky was goin' on an' on about?" The man laughed, looking Kiyotaka over fully. "He's a—"

"Loyal hound?" Kiyotaka finished, only having heard the phrase fifty times today. "Yes, I am. Well, was, if you'd like to be technical."

"Oh ho, another one? Hope this one doesn't turn out to be a spy, eh?" The man laughed, then leaned forward a bit to catch Kiyotaka's scent*. "And an Omega? He's kinda cute, think you'll make 'im yer mate, Leader~?" He cooed, and Mondo's ears flattened.

"Get fucked," he growled, and the other Alpha sprang back a bit, giggling. Kiyotaka felt his skin grow hot, and he pressed his lips into a thin frown. The Alpha turned to face him again, ears perked and tail wagging excitedly.

"Anyway, I'm Yasuhiro Hagakure, A.K.A. Pit-bull," the man, Yasuhiro, said as he thrust his hand out towards Kiyotaka. He shook it tentatively. "I'm the gang's Healer."

"Kiyotaka Ishimaru," he murmured, deciding not to say anything about the "mate" comment, though it was taking all of his self-control not to. "Do you...have a wolf as well?"

"Sure do!" Yasuhiro said, then whistled, a high whistle, and a black wolf's head appeared out of the trashcan. "Dai! Get over here!" The Eurasian Grey jumped from his hiding place, running over to his master and sticking his head between his knees. Hachiro peered out from around Kiyotaka's legs, tail wagging slowly. "Is that one yours?"

"Yes, his name is Hachiro." Kiyotaka had never had a pet before, and his heart raced with excitement at the thought of being able to have and train his very own. However, he quickly remembered his elder's warning, and inwardly, he deflated. The Association would most likely have him kill Hachiro once he returned.

Yasuhiro cooed happily at the wolf, letting him sniff his hand, before Mondo spoke again. "Where's my girl, Pit? Weren't you s'posed ta' be watchin' 'er?" The Healer stiffened suddenly, then rubbed the back of his head, laughing nervously.

"Er...well...erm...l-let's say, hypothetically, there's an Alpha, an' his daughter...uh...ran off?" He finally squeaked, and Mondo gripped the sides of his head.

"God dammit, Yasuhiro! This's the third time! No wonder she keeps askin' fer you ta' watch 'er, you let 'er run off!"

"Your daughter is a very persuasive young lady!" Yasuhiro shot back, covering his face with his hands. "B-besides, it was mostly Dai's fault! He was s'posed ta' tell me if she tried ta' run off!"

"That doesn't change tha' fact tha—" Mondo started to say, before he was cut off by a loud,

"Papa!" From seemingly nowhere, a tiny blonde-haired girl clung to Mondo's side, nuzzling under his arm, a tall Maned wolf trailing behind. The girl, who he suspected was Chihiro, had a fluffy curled tail, leading him to suspect that she was not a full-blooded Wolf. Her semi-flop ears further reinforced this, and his ears twitched. If that was true, she'd most likely be killed alongside her father*. While Kiyotaka had no reservations about watching Mondo die, having to watch this girl, who was only two years out of puppyhood die, made him feel a bit ill. Still, she was a member of the gang, a criminal, and criminals deserved justice.

"There's my lil' Princess," Mondo laughed, picking her up and twirling her around. She giggled, keeping one hand on her short black skirt to keep it from flipping up at Mondo's rough treatment, only moving it when she was back on the ground. She wore a frilly red top with puffed sleeves, red and black heeled boots, and a loose red slip collar like the kind greyhounds usually wear. "Where'd you run off to?" His voice was only slightly scolding, and again Kiyotaka found himself confused. How could Mondo, a heartless criminal, have so much love for someone else? Perhaps the emotion was feigned, created, to make Chihiro trust him. That had to be it. Nothing else made sense.

"The book shop!" Chihiro answered sweetly. "I got some new books, I hope that's okay?" Her eyes were wide, innocent, fawn-like, and Mondo gave a nervous grin.

"Yeah, o'course. Only tha' best fer my Princess." He ruffled her hair affectionately, and Chihiro finally noticed Kiyotaka, who'd been standing silently the whole time. She gave a soft gasp, hiding behind her father's back and peering at him nervously. "Ah, don't be shy, Princess. S'just our new recruit." She was staring intently at Kiyotaka's eyepatch, and he turned his face slightly so it was mostly out of view, before bowing politely.

"Kiyotaka Ishimaru, at your service," he said, and slowly, Chihiro's tail started to wag. Still, she kept a strong, firm grip on her father's grip, and she didn't move out from behind him.

Turning back to Yasuhiro, Mondo asked, "Do you know where Otter an' Stonewall are?"

"On patrol, I think," Yasuhiro replied, tapping the side of his mouth thoughtfully. "They should be back later." Mondo huffed, flicking an ear.

"Well, 'm not gonna wait for 'em. You'll have to meet 'em later," Mondo said, addressing Kiyotaka. "There's somethin' else we gotta do first."

"And what would that be?" Kiyotaka asked with curiosity.

"Introducin' you to everyone else," Mondo replied matter of factly. "We can't have ya' runnin' around without the others knowin' who ya' are. You'll be dead faster than ya' can cry fer help." They broke away from Yasuhiro, with Chihiro still clinging tightly to Mondo with no intentions of letting go. Kiyotaka decided not to let it bother him, though he did feel the overwhelming urge to point out that Chihiro's skirt was awfully shirt for a girl her age.

Kiyotaka grew more and more weary of the staring eyes as he and Mondo approached what he believed was the central meeting place of the gang. Despite the early hour (it was now 4:30), there were quite a few Wolves out and about—and of course, multitudes of canines. "Why are there so many Wolves up? Shouldn't they be sleeping?"

"Guard Wolves," Mondo replied. "They sleep during the day and stay awake at night, watching in case Enoshima tries to attack."

Finally, Kiyotaka's curiosity boiled over. "Who is this infamous Enoshima I keep hearing about?"

Mondo's eyes narrowed as he lowered his head slightly. "She's the leader of the Monochrome Cats. She's about as ruthless as I am, but much more dangerous by far," Mondo admitted, somewhat embarrassingly. "She's a demon."

"Oh." Kiyotaka felt the hair along his neck raise at the mention of the word _demon. _Any Wolf who was worth his salt knew that Wolves and demons just simply didn't get along—and these two gangs seemed to take it to a whole new level.

Soon, they reached the steps of what led up to what looked like a huge platform. Mondo turned to Kiyotaka. "Stay here," he said, and he ascended up the stairs. Akane, who had been waiting at the bottom of the stairs, turned to follow her master. Hachiro looked at her with curiosity as she passed him, and Kiyotaka could have sworn he saw the reddish brown wolf brush her furry little tail under the other brute's neck.

_What a bitch, _Kiyotaka thought, and then smirked at his own joke. As if the wolf had heard him (Kiyotaka was almost sure she had, after what Mondo had told him), she pricked her ears and held her tail up higher.

When Mondo and Akane finally reached the top, Mondo turned his eyes to look at the wolf. "Akane," he said, pointing outwards. "Speak."

Kiyotaka thought that the wolf would give a soft bark or a howl or something, but he was drastically wrong. The wolf took a breath and ran to the peak of the platform and let out a howl that would impress any wild wolf; Kiyotaka was almost sure that she could be heard in Tokyo. No, not just Tokyo; the whole of Japan.

At her howl, all of the canines' ears picked up and they turned their heads to Akane; about twenty or so Wolves looked out of the windows of what looked like apartment buildings. Almost every Wolves who lived in the area slowly began to gather, and Kiyotaka felt more and more dread rise as he saw the numbers climb. So many unfamiliar faces…dangerous faces…

As soon as he figured that all of his members had gathered, Mondo stepped up beside his wolf and patted her on the head. "My wolves," he addressed them. "Today is a special event. As you may already know, this year spring has come late, meaning less pups born and less breeding, giving us a shortage of members. However, I have met a former loyal hound who is willing to become a true wolf. Kiyotaka Ishimaru," he called, looking down at the dark-haired Wolf and motioning him up. Cautiously, he approached the top of the platform where the Alpha stood and took his place beside him. Immediately he could hear the whispers;

"Who is that?"

"Where does he come from?"

"_Look _at that tie!" A familiar voice called. The crowds parted as Kirigiri moved through, the hatred glittering in her eyes almost making them look like they were glowing red. She was noticeably more aggressive than she was earlier, with her ears and tail swiveled forward and her tail held high. "It's the mark of the Association! And look at him, he's scrawny! There's no _way _he'll last through the winter. His pitiful cries will ring out through the city, calling his little friends to come and rescue him! I can hear them now; _help me, help me!_" She let out a mocking laugh and looked up at Kiyotaka. "Am I wrong? Come down and fight me if I'm wrong!"

Kiyotaka stiffened with fear as he looked down at her. There was no way he could fight her…

"She's challenging you." Kiyotaka looked over at Mondo, who was leaning over, murmuring in his ear. "She thinks she's the Alpha. Are you going to put her in her place? Or are you going to let her wag her tail and mark her territory wherever she pleases?"

Suddenly, the fear evaporated. Kiyotaka straightened and looked out at Kirigiri, and with a cry, he gave a flying leap and pushed himself off of the platform and onto Kirigiri, who let out a deathly snarl. They both fell to the ground and tumbled a few feet away, before Kirigiri threw him off and scrambled to her feet. The border collie glare she gave him was deadly—her eyes wide and pupils small within pools of violet. Her lips were curled back to reveal those deathly fangs, and, in a similar display, Kiyotaka decided to do it her style. His lips pulled back to reveal his own pearly whites, and he rolled his shoulders back as they paced around each other in circles. For a few moments, they stopped and were tense, until Kirigiri let out a howl and tackled him, pinning him to the ground. Snarling, Kiyotaka kicked her in the stomach and she dismounted, skidding to a stop beside a wall. The crowd had created a circle around the fighting pair, and a few were watching with interest, wanting to see how the loyal hound would put up against the trained fighter.

_What does a wolf fight like? _A male voice said inside of Kiyotaka's head. He let out a soft gasp and narrowly dodged Kirigiri as she sped towards him, and he turned on his heel, panting. Most of his fighting had been weapon-based, and he was afraid that Kirigiri might beat him easily, using her obviously hand-to-hand based training to her advantage. _Use your teeth, your jaws—they are the most important part for a wolf. Just don't let her grip you—she won't let go. _Kiyotaka inwardly nodded at the voice and rushed forward, snagging her collar with his teeth. She let out a surprised yelp as he did and twisted underneath him, jerking his head around. Kiyotaka struggled to keep himself upright as she did, but nonetheless, his teeth stayed embedded in the collar. She let out an angry growl and raked her jagged nails across Kiyotaka's face and neck, and Kiyotaka let out a squeak of pain. Again he lunged forward and grabbed her ear in his teeth this time, grinning as she let out a pained howl. He moved back and began to turn in circles, forcing her to turn with him. Finally he released her and sent her spinning, and she fell on the ground for a moment before jumping up and grabbing the tie around Kiyotaka's neck, pulling hard. Kiyotaka let out a yelp of confusion, before he realized what she was trying to do.

_She's going to break my neck! _He thought as she tugged harder and harder. Kiyotaka struggled under the lack of air and the strain on his neck. Suddenly, he heard the tear of fabric, and Kirigiri fell backwards, holding the torn neckpiece in her hand. She threw it to the ground and went to attack again, but Mondo jumped between them. "That's enough," he declared. "A draw." He was only partially speaking to the crowd, mostly to Kirigiri to attempt to please her, but she just spat and rubbed her torn and bleeding ear.

For a few moments after the fight had ended, Kiyotaka simply stood there, stiff with receding adrenaline and a bit of shock. Although it'd been called a draw, it was quite obvious that he had been the unspoken winner. An eerie silence settled over the crowd as Kirigiri limped away to lick her wounds. Finally, the silence was shattered by laughs, cheers, and jeers.

"You sure showed her!"

"Man, Violet's first loss an' it was to a loyal hound!"

"Damn, lookit the eyepatch on 'im! Mebbe that's why he won, little Violet was scared!"

Kiyotaka stood numbly, blinking slowly with surprise as he was playfully elbowed and roughly patted. Never before had he been praised like this. Usually, a successful fight or kill got him a "good job" from the Elders, and perhaps a bit more free time during the day. But this? This was unheard of. He'd never been treated this way, and it was making him nervous. The fact that he was receiving more praise from criminals than his law-abiding elders was blurring his world of black and white into gray, and he started to shake. The fabric of his own reality was beginning to slowly unravel, and Kiyotaka was trying desperately to grasp it, to fix it.

He had to get rid of Mondo Oowada, and the Blood Wolves, before they tore his very existance to shreds.

Noticing his uneasiness, Mondo stepped between Kiyotaka and the others, Hachiro running quickly to his distressed Master's side.

"Hey, hey, hey. Ease off 'im, he's still new an' stiff," Mondo explained. "You'll have enough time fer celebrations later."

"I hardly believe that winning a fight is something to celebrate. Something more appropriate to celebrate would be a special occasion, or perhaps a successful day of training!" Kiyotaka said stiffly, his rule-abiding side finally beginning to show. This earned him laughs from all around, and Kiyotaka's face grew hot as he pinned his ears back against his skull. Luckily, the Wolves decided it was high time to tease Kirigiri on her loss, and they bounded away after the injured Omega.

Just as Kiyotaka was turning to Mondo to ask what was next, a voice called, "Hey! Ishimaru!" It was Makoto, a broad smile on his face as he sprang over to the Omega, tail wagging happily. "That was pretty awesome what you did out there! You're pretty tough, for a loyal hound." Kiyotaka felt a swelling of pride in his chest at that, and he swallowed heavily.

"It was nothing, I assure you," he replied.

"_Nothing_? Kirigi—I mean, Violet's one of the top fighters of the whole gang," Makoto exclaimed. "As far as I'm concerned, you've gotta be pretty tough to take her on. So, you're cool with me." Makoto bumped his fist against Kiyotaka's chest, and he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Does...this mean we are friends?"

"Yeah!" Makoto smiled at him, a full smile, with all of his teeth showing. Kiyotaka gave a small, slightly anxious smile in return, before the younger male bounded away to join his pals.

Friends. They weren't really friends, of course. Kiyotaka only had to play along, he was only using Makoto to fulfill his duties.

Still, the smallest flame of excitement rose in his belly when he thought of the word and the relationship it suggested.

Friends.

Later that morning, after Kiyotaka had finally gotten something to eat, he found that he was extremely tired, despite the early hour at only 7:00. He had been through a lot, though, and noticing that he was hopelessly tired he was, Mondo cocked his head. "Sleepy already? Well, I guess I'd better show ya' to yer room then."

"R-room?" Kiyotaka yawned, half-closing his eyes. Hachiro lay next to him, head on his paws, hazel eyes looking up at his master with interest.

"Yes. Every Wolf has 'is own room, 'is own space that he can mark and decorate as he likes, an' a little place fer the blood-wolf, too." Mondo told him, standing up from the table where they'd been sitting. "Come on, follow me. Unless you can't stand?" The Alpha asked teasingly, eyes sparkling. Kiyotaka let out a soft huff and stood up, stumbling a little before following after Mondo and Akane. Hachiro followed behind, tail slowly wagging as he stood beside Kiyotaka.

_So you heard me. _There was that voice again. Finally putting two and two together, Kiyotaka looked down at the wolf with wide eyes.

_It was you! _Kiyotaka thought, blinking rapidly.

_Yes, _Hachiro replied, tongue sticking out from the side of his jaws. _It was me. I don't see how it took you so long to figure it out. _

_I didn't think my wolf was talking to me…_Kiyotaka thought, though he did remember Mondo's statement about Master-Wolf communication. _Then again, a lot of strange things seem to happen down here. Let me guess, you can fly, too?_

Hachiro let out a sneeze-huff, which Kiyotaka guessed in wolf was basically like a giggle. _No, not yet, I'm afraid._

A soft sigh escaped Kiyotaka's lips, and he paused beside Mondo when he stopped in front of a large brick hotel-like building. "This's one o' tha' inns," Mondo told Kiyotaka. "It happens ta be tha' one where tha former beta used ta stay."

"Former beta?" Kiyotaka asked, rubbing his eyes. "What is a beta?"

"A beta is basically tha' second-in-command; he helps me, the Alpha, with most decisions concernin' the gang." Mondo replied. "Though, 's been a while since we had a beta. Tha' last one died 'bout a year ago." Mondo bowed his head, a flash of pain showing in his eyes for a moment. Again, Kiyotaka saw the ugly scar down his neck, and he decided to skip asking about the dead beta and ask about that.

"Where did you get that?" Kiyotaka asked, pointing at the scar.

"Accident," Mondo replied simply, before walking up the steps to the door. He pushed it open and motioned for Kiyotaka to follow. "Well? You comin'?" He nodded.

"Coming." Kiyotaka turned to follow the Alpha up the stairs, Hachiro trailing behind him. They trotted down the long halls painted black, and the red carpeted floors that were soft and plush under their feet. The siding on the walls had beautiful gold coloring, and each door was a shade of brilliant mahogany. It was a very beautiful building overall, and obviously not very old—it still had that distinctive "new building" smell.

Finally, after what felt like an hour wandering through halls, they finally reached a door with dark gold numbers on it reading "316."

"Here," Mondo announced, pushing open the door. The walls in the room where white, and the bedspread was black with white and gray patches. There was a black dresser in one corner and a door in another, possibly a door to the closet. Beside the bed on the right side, there was a smaller dog bed in a soft shade of light brown, and to the left side, there was a small table.. "This's yer room. Do whatever ya' want with it—move tha' furniture, paint tha' walls, change tha' carpet." The Alpha tilted his head to the side and smiled as Kiyotaka collapsed on the bed and looked at Mondo with tired eyes. "See you in a few hours. You've got a long day tomorrow," he purred, slipping out and shutting the door behind him. Finally at peace, Kiyotaka snuggled into the sheets and sighed, taking off his eyepatch and putting it on the bedside table. After barely two minutes, Kiyotaka had fallen into a deep sleep, Hachiro curled up at his feet with his head on his master's ankles.

Tomorrow, his mission would truly begin.

That night, Kiyotaka had another dream. Again he was a wolf, but this time he wasn't roaming the forest. He was in a large, bleak clearing, with nothing but sand and a few tufts of grass. For a moment, Kiyotaka laid on his belly, ears twitching, curious as to where he was. Then, a new scent wafted towards him from upwind, and he jumped to his feet, growling softly. He was not alone.

"Kiyotaka," a voice whispered, soft, feminine, and unfamiliar. "Hello, Kiyotaka." Whipping around, Kiyotaka faced the voice. It was a tall fae* with short, sleek black fur like a Labrador, eyes as blue as sapphires and sparkling with the light of the stars. Her fur shimmered, as though water droplets were caught in it, and somehow, her presence was almost...calming.

"Who are you?" Kiyotaka asked, bristling slightly.

"My name is Koyuki, but who I am is not important, neither is who I once was. All that matters, is what I must tell you." Deciding to hear her out, Kiyotaka sat back on his haunches. "Mondo has secrets, many secrets. So do these streets. It is your job to uncover these secrets, and to become close to Mondo, for more than just your mission. Eventually, you will abandon your mission."

Angry, Kiyotaka jumped forward. "No! I am loyal to the Dispatch, I _will _fulfill my mission! _I will kill Mondo Oowada!_" The Association was his everything, his world, his society, his law. They told him to do something, and he obeyed without question. That was his purpose as a loyal Omega, and he wasn't going to let some random fae change that. Still, she gave a tinkling laugh, making Kiyotaka bristle again.

"That is what you believe now, but I will tell you; this Elder of yours is not what he appears to be, nor as pure and law-abiding as he has painted himself to be. He is planning your betrayal, even as we speak." As that sentence left her jaws, she began to fade away. "_Remember_," she whispered to him as his eyes closed. "_Remember…_"

*The man laughed, then leaned forward a bit to catch Kiyotaka's scent = Wolves have scent glands on their face, the sides of their neck, the sides of their abdomen, and between their legs. Both Alphas and Omegas can and will spray, like cats, to mark their territory.

*fae = another word for a female wolf


End file.
